Sacrifice
by Eyefantasy
Summary: Naruto dreams of a family, of respect, and acceptance. Sasuke dreams of revenge and power. When a certain Moon Spirit pulls them into a world, where the fires of war ravage the land and seas, where their ancestors fought, will they get what they want? And if they do, what will they sacrifice to protect it?
1. Chapter 1

**AN** : I'm back with something new! I was rewriting Eternal Bonds when I got this idea and I just went mad and started writing this down. This is part one of this story and will take place before the A:TLA, and finishing at the conclusion of the Invasion of the Northern Water Tribe. Pairings: Naruto x Princess Yue; Sasuke x Azula. **Disclaimer: I own nothing. All properties of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Naruto belong to their respective owners.**

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 **Avatar Book One: Sacrifice - The Calling**

The Village Hidden in the Leaves was the picture of peace, a bountiful serenity that swirled in the air and land and touched by the beauty of a newly awakened spring. The green leaves swayed to the gentle breeze of spring, finally sprouting from their winter slumber. They rustled from the wind like swaying hips of dancers, right to left, left to right. The birds chirping musically in the sweet air rode on the breeze that returned them to their nests in the tops of the trees.

A large hawk soared in the evening air circling the village like a beacon, and the shinobi with white masks and light armor, seeing the beacon, leaped from buildings like hopping crickets bounding for the Hokage tower. Their gifted skills in channeling chakra accelerated their speed, tapping the rooftops urgently. They blurred at inhuman speeds, their white masks glinting from the sun's last vestiges of sunlight.

Below them the villagers, basking in the glow of the setting sun, traveled home for the day, waiting for a hot supper or spending time with their families. Others left the comforts of their homes, embarking on spending the night with their friends at familiar restaurants or congregating at certain meeting spots, ready to liven the night.

As the village prepared for the night a lone figure sitting on a large, rugged mountain with carved faces of the Hidden Leaf Village's Hokages ignored them.

From the Hokage Monument Naruto looked up into the once blue sky. Dusk had settled and streaks of orange and yellow painted the sky like a canvas. He could see beyond the vibrant glow of colors the night sweeping in like the wind, carrying its stars and pinning them to the ever-changing sky. The sky appeared carefree, oblivious to his life - like always.

The waning sunlight reflected his blond hair like a sea of spiky fire. The sunlight also reflected brightly off his green goggles that he always carried with him, a reminder of his goal: to become a true shinobi. His blue eyes glistened with tears already shed, a dry track staining his puffy cheeks, which featured three markings (on both sides) resembling whiskers. He frowned solemnly, alone at the bluff.

He pulled his thin knees to his chest, hugging them as if they were his pillow that he tightly squeezed when he was alone. A light breeze ruffled his green shirt and light blue shorts. The day had been long and arduous for the young shinobi-in-training.

He came to the Hokage Monument to flee those horrible stares filled with contained fury directed at his existence. They glared at him as if he was disgusting, something abhorrent and despicable. Children would bully him or feel reluctant or scared to play with him. They would call him that "kid" or "thing" as if he was not human, not even a person, with fragile feelings and emotions. Naruto felt that the parents and the adults knew something about him, an open secret, passed on to the kids, in hush whispers and harsh glances.

The adults were the worst. The adults hated him. This he knew for a fact. They despised him. He knew that remarkable truth ever since he was born, pure and naked to the world, but still tainted by society's perception of him. Even the shinobi instructors that taught at the academy cruelly disregarded and belittled him. It was one of the reasons he was behind in his classes, or chose to ignore them altogether.

When he asked for help, help did not come in proud compliments or gentle smiles – like his classmates – but in sneers and scowls. They would humiliate him and tie his lack of answers to his stupidity, knowing full well that the resources given to him were inadequate and (some) outdated. He had to pull his own weight – always - in order to achieve a modicum of respect which he never received.

He practiced and practiced but his achievement fell on deaf ears and apathetic looks. Naruto would then act up, playing practical jokes on the villagers and his instructors and masking his pain and loneliness with jubilant laughter and smiles. He sometimes felt like he was drowning and there was no-one to save him.

There were only three people he trusted implicitly, relied upon to lessen his burden as a struggling orphan, the Third Hokage, and Teuchi and Ayami from the ramen stand. The Third Hokage, the Old Man, had assisted him like a transient grandfather. When Naruto confessed his grievances the Hokage reprehended the instructors and gave Naruto updated material.

He had never smiled so brilliantly that day. That day was the day he declared to become Hokage, to be acknowledged and respected like the revered man who had presented him with the same respect no-one had given him. Whenever he met the Hokage, whether walking with him or being treated to his favorite ramen shop, Ramen Ichiraku's, the respect and humbleness exuded by the villagers were wondrous.

The looks ranged between open and honest smiles, the ones spoke of benevolence and awe-filled eyes. To say Naruto was impressed by such a display of emotion was an understatement. The Hokage had likened the treatment to a family, one whom he would cherish at the cost of his life.

And Teuchi and Ayami? They fed the boy when he had nothing to eat, scavenging the streets after getting kicked out from the orphanage for his behavior. (His housing situation was quickly remedied by the Hokage, who, with his power, placed him in an apartment.) They continued to feed him accepting his hungry and boisterous appetite as payment. He promised that he would pay them back when he could, usually by doing various odd jobs; moving furniture, household work, or even assisting at Ichiraku's as a form of payment. Teuchi and Ayami always encouraged Naruto to do his best and never give up, and Naruto treasured their friendship.

Too bad for Naruto the other villagers did not see him that way - his family (the villagers) too cold and neglectful of him - which brought him back to the reason of why he was sitting on the cliff, overlooking the great stretch of the village. The villagers had harshly criticized his dream as he shouted it to the world; he had wanted them to know so they might, in their hard hearts, see him as someone to respect. Instead, they mocked him and stomped on his dream as if to crush any hope that burst from being and threw it – as they said with all failures – in the trash.

So Naruto responded in the only way he could; he declared that he would one day become Hokage and ran, the pain stabbing into his young heart. Every day was the same and he endured their spiteful taunts. He ran to his sanctuary, his safe haven, the Hokage Monument.

The sun had finally disappeared behind the great mountains, the waning light outlining their rugged peaks. The stars were fully awake and glittered in the dark. The moon, a friend of the stars, accompanied their arrival of the night. The moon, silent and piercing, watched Naruto like an old friend, its light blanketing him and the village. The crickets chirping commenced with the veil of night.

Naruto rubbed his tear-stained face. He stood up as he readied for home, readied for another day of the same routine, the same baneful stares. He patted his clothes, removing some of the dirt that had gathered on his bottom. He looked towards the sky once again and turned toward the trees behind. He started to move but froze. A voice as light as a feather caressed his hears.

The voice was indiscernible, but it called to Naruto. It seemed benign and welcoming. The voice sounded as if it was trapped underwater as it gurgled.

"What is it?" he voiced aloud.

His head spun like a top around for the person or thing calling him. Finding nothing he attempted to move on, but the voice continued to call him, imploring him to listen. Curiosity and fright shined in his blue orbs, he was conscious of the fact that hearing invisible things was not a good sign and also skeptical; were the villagers' playing a trick on him?

He halted again when a ball of light hovered in front him. The ball of green light bounced and zoomed around his head playfully. The boy's blue eyes followed the motion.

"A firefly?" he questioned.

The firefly hovered in his face and then zoomed into the thick trees. The voice became louder, more commandeering:

"Follow the firefly," the voice declared, now audible and clear, the words recognizable.

Naruto jumped at the raised volume. He glanced around once more still finding nothing. He shrugged helplessly watching the firefly zoom in-between the branches, visible and waiting. He blinked curiously and ran after it, hoping to find the person that had called him.

"Hey firefly, wait!" he yelled, running after the insect.

A few minutes of running and jumping had brought the boy to a small, strange forest northeast of the main village. A tori designated the entrance to the forest. The gate was surprisingly strong, the earthy, brown bark resilient to years of harsh weather. From what Naruto could remember from the lessons at the academy in relation to the various monuments and shrines in the Land of Fire, especially in the village, this was a sacred place, specifically quarantined from the main village. The forest itself was built by the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage before Konoha's establishment.

The Shodaime declared the forest a sacred sanctuary for spirits and the divine. The forest was forbidden. Naruto did not know the main reason for barring the forest, which had not stopped him from trying to get in however. What he did know were those that did sneak in disappeared for months, maybe years, and returned with haunted looks. They never spoke on what happened in the forest. The returned always came back at the beginning of spring.

He had a few months ago tried intruding in the place because he was curious. The thought of spirits did frighten the young Uzumaki but that never stopped him from exploring. The forest seemed to know him strangely, and called to him, the wind like the hands of the forest pushing him forward. Before he got closer, two Anbu operatives stopped him and he left the place reluctantly.

This time however, there were no Anbu in sight. Naruto smiled at his luck. He was actually going to do this.

Behind the tori the trees were unearthly still and dark, their trunks larger than his body. They stood like soldiers in rank, impassable and stoic, the branches and its leaves intertwining with one another acted as a natural barrier against intruders. The dark areas in-between the trunks of the trees were mysterious and looked like a void to an endless night.

The firefly floated over the tori, bouncing with the melodious chimes of the bells that lined across the nuki which swayed to an ominous wind. The air was cold, chilly in fact. But Naruto stood firm, watching the firefly illuminate the tori and the sign that swung in place. The word water was inscribed in the worn sign. The Gate of Water was its designation. He remembered there was another entrance, the Gate of Fire south of his position.

The firefly floated impatiently around his head and took into the forest. Naruto crossed the gate and looked back to the empty roads that led to the main village. No Anbu. Shrugging with a lopsided smile he ran after the firefly into the dark forest.

 **XXX**

As night finally descended on Konoha, a boy with thick black hair watched the sky change from his window with dark, hooded eyes. Two long strands of bangs fell on both sides of his face, framing his soft features. At the crown, his black hair jutted out like the feathers of a duck's tail. The boy's dark eyes were empty - they had been for months after the bloody incident his brother committed on his clan.

The shadows stalked in the darkness of his room like assassins slowly coming to devour him. He would have welcomed the assassins to strike his heart, to bring death to him. All that he cared for were buried in the cold unforgiving ground. They no longer felt the emotions of the living, which he was suffering terribly through now.

The emotions were violent and turbulent and they crashed like waves in the stormy seas and skies of his mind. They called for him, begged him, to give in. He almost did, but he had to weather the storm his brother had caused.

The only reason he was still alive was on a whim, a promise by his elder brother. In the dead of night, with his parents' bodies huddled together, Itachi stated the reasons for the senseless killings: to measure his capacity, and to see if Sasuke had the same motivation as he to test his own. In that night he vowed to become an avenger and seek justice and retribution for Itachi's massacre.

The nights haunted him and his dreams were constant terrors that struck like boogeymen. They were always there in the back of his mind, fresh and waiting, looming. Sasuke used that as motivation to better himself. That was the end goal.

Sometimes he wished he knew that his new life of solitude was a mistake, brought on by a careless accident to the head. He hoped to see his mother smiling, her arms open for him, and his father's stern face but eyes baring approval, and even, hypocritically, his brother's love and affection, the affectionate poke to his forehead symbolizing their love and connection as Uchiha brothers.

If only that was the case. If only…

Sasuke thought that scenario more often than not. However, whenever he opened his eyes, finding himself alone, in the darkness of his room, he knew that fact to be false.

He sighed long and deep, tonight was going to be another night of makeshift wishing. He watched the stars' silent twinkling. They seemed to mock him for they stood together, like a family. He was about turn away from his window when a green light floated near it.

The ball of light zoomed around his window. The sight was hypnotic. His eyes followed its movement, the reflection of green shining in his black orbs.

Small hands reached for the window sill. They lifted up the window and the firefly zoomed happily into his room. The light from the insect illuminated his room in soft green, darkening and lightening wherever its path traveled.

Sasuke watched the insect in mild curiosity. He had not seen a firefly in a while. The last he saw of one were the days before the massacre, on one of his and Itachi's hunting expedition.

The bug whizzed around his head, the light caressing his face like a flame from a flickering candle. Sasuke raised a small hand and the firefly gently landed on his skinny, pale fingers. The insect fluttered its wings and shook its bulbous light.

"Where did you come from," he asked the bug. The insect simply gave him a look, as if it was curious at his question.

Then, an indistinct voice called to him. He swiftly turned his head to the side, looking for the person of the voice. Finding no sign, he shook his head. He must have imagined the voice he thought, Itachi's misdeeds getting the better of him.

He walked towards the open window and with his burdened hand and shook the firefly off. The firefly hovered close to him. He watched confused as the firefly flew back into his room. The firefly landed atop his head. He proceeded to shake his head, his black hair flailing, but the firefly did not move. He huffed in annoyance.

As he was about to swat the insect from his head, the voice returned. It spoke and sounded like water, like the voice was trapped under water:

"Follow the firefly."

Follow the firefly? He in turn glanced at the bug, which had flown out, again, from the window, hovering, waiting for him to come with it. Sasuke pursed his lips. _This could be a trap_ , he thought, for hearing voices in his head was not normal, not after what Itachi had done to him. Taking a few kunai and shuriken, he jumped out the window, following the ball of light to wherever it wanted go.

 **XXX**

Naruto jumped from tree branch to tree branch feeling his patience lessen. He had been moving through the trees for what seemed like forever with the persistent lightning bug. He was getting nowhere and he felt uncertain that he could return from the forest in the dark. He definitely did not want to wander the forest for years.

The firefly lowered to the forest floor and Naruto jumped down after the bug. He ran after it until it took him to a small clearing that led to an underground cave. Another large tori decorated the entrance. This time the sign said moon, the Gate of the Moon. He walked a few steps until he heard movement in the trees. Hearing a light step on a branch a small figure bounced off the tree and landed further to his left.

He could not see the figure until it came into the moonlight, its face alight in white light.

"Sasuke?!" Naruto shouted.

Sasuke walked towards Naruto surprise etched into his young face. "What are you doing here, loser?"

Insulted at the question, Naruto tightened his hands. He glared angrily at the young Uchiha. "What did you say, you idiot?"

"Don't make me repeat myself, loser," Sasuke sighed.

"Why you…" Naruto grounded out angrily. Naruto ran towards Sasuke and gripped the front of his high collar, black shirt.

In return Sasuke did the same, his eyes eager, daring Naruto to initiate the fight. He looked as if wanted to settle their ill dispute – the spar he had defeated Naruto who, stubbornly, never accepted the loss.

"You should just give up; you're only going to end the same way you did last time – on the ground," Sasuke said smugly, his lips curved upwards and his eyes condescending.

"I'll show you last time! Believe it!" Naruto growled, cocking a fist back. He was prepared to deliver Sasuke to the dirt when two fireflies interrupted their near-sparring match. The fireflies darted to their noses, and they looked cross-eyed at the insects.

Releasing his grip on Sasuke's shirt, he placed his hands by his sides, staring oddly at the firefly. He angrily pursed his lips at the fireflies interruption, he was sure he had the upper hand this time against Sasuke. The lightning bugs seemed to be a mild distraction for the two youths. With the distraction came the realization and Naruto recalled why he was here in the first place.

When the two boys calmed the two fireflies flew into the cave. Naruto furrowed his blond brows. Did they want them to follow them into the cave? Was this the reason why he was here?

Naruto glared at Sasuke then looked towards the cave. "I don't have time fighting you; there's something I must do. Someone's calling me."

Sasuke's expression, now curious, said, "The fireflies led you here, too. And that voice as well?"

"What do you know of the voice?"

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "I came through the Gate of Fire and I thought this might be a trap, but since you're here, I can safely say that it isn't."

"What's that supposed mean?" Naruto barked indignantly.

"I'm going to find out," Sasuke said, leaving Naruto to venture in the cave.

"Sasuke! Wait for me," Naruto called, "I'm going to find out first!"

The two boys made their way into the cave. Inside was dark and dank, but the two fireflies provided the much needed light to walk in. The walls of the cave illuminated by the fireflies glow were rough and rigid. The cave walls were hardened and large stalagmites fell from the ceiling like sharp teeth. A raspy wind moaned in the cave like the whispers of the dead and Naruto visibly flinched. He hated scary places, especially those that might have ghosts.

As they wandered through the cave, something shiny caught Naruto's eyes. His eyes traveled in that direction and his breath hitched. Shuriken and kunai lined the walls and littered the ground. They dug into the soil and rock like cemetery stones, marking the fallen. He rushed to the wall, minding the weapons cluttered on the ground.

The walls illuminated by soft green were arrayed with deep marks. Cuts and slashes in various forms dragged and scarred against the brown rock. A lone kunai buried into the wall stood out to Naruto. Half the dagger sank into rock and remained deathly still, still waiting to taste real flesh. Its black luster was faded and rust, like a plague, covered the weapon.

"A battle," he heard dimly Sasuke mutter at the opposite wall, crouching and looking at the remains of a torn flag, the symbol vaguely similar to the one on his back.

Naruto carefully, using his pointer finger, touched the kunai, feeling the bits of rust cling to his hand and flatten like powder when he smudged them together with his thumb. The kunai was very old, he thought, as his eyes wandered to the worn and bandaged handle aged by time and air. He noted a strange black symbol on the bandage: a circle that looked like a wheel with three streaks of vertical lines passing through it.

He wondered what the sign meant and why it was on the kunai. Was it a seal or some kind of special technique? A marking of a clan? He did not know so he called Sasuke over. The black haired boy looked haunted and irritated; there was something in his eyes that spoke of reverence and a knowing. Naruto was not too sure about what, but this, the weapons littering the cave, seemed to resonate with Sasuke.

"What is it?"

"What do you think this symbol is?"

Sasuke leaned forward, studying the marking. His brow scrunched before relenting and looked at Naruto: "I have no idea. It could be a seal of some sort."

Taking the kunai from the wall, Naruto put it in his pocket. He wanted to show the Hokage later after this adventure, maybe he would know what the strange symbol meant. The two boys continued their trek. Further into the cave they went, and the ground seemed to slope, getting lower and lower. A few minutes went by and Naruto's ears twitched at the sound of rushing water. The water made a _shooing_ noise.

He glanced at Sasuke and he could tell the black-haired boy heard the same thing. They rushed toward the sound and from the entrance appeared an expanse of blue light, revealing a large cavern. Towards the back of the cavern a thundering waterfall came from an opening at the top of the cave and fell into a large pond. The water flowed through two aqueducts that ran outward, along the walls of the cave through openings built into the walls. In front of the waterfall, on a small island, green foliage burst from the ground like a scene from a fairytale. Flowers – violet, pink, white, and yellow – and thick vines grew and ravaged the rocks, intertwining them in a flora embrace.

At the top of the cave a wide opening displayed the twinkling stars and the moon's scarred surface. Moonlight spilled from the opening and danced and shimmered over the large pond. The scene was unnatural, ethereal in its creation.

Two symbols were carved on the blue, stony walls. On the left wall the symbol of fire, a counterclockwise spiral flowing into three tongues of flame traveled to the waterfall. Its antithetical, water, comprised of a circle, stylized rightward-facing an ocean wave with three spiral crests breaking over three wavy diagonal lines representing water. A sea of waves crashed against the waterfall like the fire and emptied into the pond below.

It captivated the boys as they stood at the foot of the entrance with mouths agape and large eyes.

Naruto was the first to speak; he could no longer contain the excitement and awe bubbling in him and it opened like a broken dam:

"Amazing!" a large smile covered his face and his happy cerulean eyes reflected the moonlight. Beside him Sasuke nodded in agreement, his dark eyes raking over the blue lit cave.

The two fireflies that guided the two boys into the cavern swept the cave, in unison, and then dove into the water. The water shimmered green and then returned to normal blue.

"Sasuke…" Naurto paused.

He could not find the words at this mythical occurrence. He stepped closer to the pond, peering into it. The water was clear, sparkling as if the sun shined on it. Blue eyes roamed the water and spotted two koi fish. One had white scales and a black spot on its head. The other had black scales as smooth and slippery as the water itself; a white diamond patch marked its head.

The fish were beautiful. They swam in a circle, black and white, dark and light. Their circle was hypnotic and Naruto found himself drifting slowly toward the water, his eyes transfixed. The koi fish's circle was alluring and it called to him, like the voice on the monument. He wondered briefly it they were one of the same, the voice garbled by water.

In a fluid motion the white koi fish broke the circle and the black one continued undeterred. The white koi fish swam to the banks and peered at Naruto, white eyes looked into the crouching blond. As if a emitting a force, Naruto was seized in a hold. Paralyzed. He could not move, he could not talk, and he could only fall, slowly towards the serene water with the now glowing koi fish.

Naruto fell into water. The splash caught Sasuke unaware. He turned from marveling the fire symbol on the wall to see Naruto sink into the water. He called his name and ran to get the boy out. He grabbed the boy's sinking foot and pulled. The action should have been easy, but something gripped the blond boy, dragging him deeper into the pond.

Sasuke trembled in fear. This was not how he imagined this adventure would turn out. He dug his heels into the ground and pulled with all his seven-year-old shinobi strength. But instead of pulling Naruto out he was being pulled into the pond. Dirt dragged as his heels dug deeper into the ground. At this rate he was not sure if he could pull Naruto out. However, he was not going to give on this idiot.

Sasuke's body hovered over the foreboding water, his hands already in it, still holding on to Naruto. He had to think of something, anything! He looked into the water and found the white eyes of a black koi fish. The koi fish's eyes and its diamond marking glowed and he felt his body freeze. His grip went slack and Naruto sank into the blue water. As Naruto's body disappeared he felt himself fall into the water, his body completely sinking into the dark depths.

As the ripples disappeared, the combined light from the moon and the two koi fish illuminated the pond white. In that moment, the bodies of Sasuke and Naruto disappeared from Konoha, leaving the two koi fish alone, continuing their eternal circle of life.

 **XXX**

In an alcove, deep in the North Pole, past the snowy city, behind the chief's temple, Chief Arnook watched the moon and ocean spirits intently. The two koi fish swam in their familiar path, a circle in the pond. The air was crisped and it was considerably warm and pleasant compared to the frigid temperature of the outside. The alcove contained an immeasurable power that granted through the harsh climate and white glaciers, life.

Indeed, at the center, where two bridges connected to a small island of the alcove a flourish of trees, vibrant and youthful, and as old as time, stood green and brilliant compared to the glacial walls. In front of the trees a large gate acted as the entrance and exit, the medium between the Spirit World and the mortal world. At the base, a large waterfall poured behind the island and surrounded it from both sides. A unique aura, one of warmth, seemed to exude from its mere presence.

Arnook had spent quite a while here, restless and anticipating a premonition. Like with his daughter Yue, he had received a premonition from the two koi fish, the embodiment of the Ocean and Moon spirits. He wondered when the event would take place.

As if hearing his thoughts the pond started to glow; blue cracks spread through the water, separating them into geometric shapes. The shapes soon became white and the light started pouring out of the pond in rising particles. The balls of light moved this way and that, freely, enthusiastically, like dancing fireflies. Arnook's blue eyes widened, he had never seen anything like it, not even for his daughter. This was something massive, something unreal, the spirits were preparing. He shuddered at the thought of what might be coming as his eyes followed the moving particles.

In an instant the white light was extinguished, popping out of existence like fireworks. The water returned to a shimmering blue. Arnook anxiously and impatiently waited for something to happen. His hands tightened and relaxed, his mouth twitched. A few moments rolled by and the water remained serene and as placid as always. _Are the Spirits playing a trick on me?_ he thought, his mind moving rapidly. He was about to turn away when he heard the splashing of water. The pond water never splashes.

A lone hand pierced like a spear through the water. The hand opened in a grab, flailing back and forth. The hand became an arm and further down a shoulder. The man quickly grabbed the small arm and pulled it up, revealing a child with white hair, green goggles, and a whiskered face.

Arnook gently placed the boy on the grassy floor. The boy coughed a large glob of water out his mouth. His breaths were sharp and quick. He tried inhaling as much as his little body could take like a pipe organ.

"Are you alright?" the man said, his voice deep and concerned.

The boy's breathing became slower and shallow and he shuddered from the intake. When he calmed he opened a blue eye at the man.

"Thank you, I'm saved!" he breathed before collapsing on the ground.

Arnook surveyed the boy's appearance and a certain foreboding in his stomach turned and rolled. This boy had the same attributes as his daughter; his snow white hair was a testament to this conclusion. The Moon spirit had bestowed life into his daughter, and now he could see the same power inside him. This boy was important and he was sure he was tied to his daughter's fate, he just did not know how or when.

With the sleeping boy in his arms, he left the sacred alcove, never noticing under the boy's shirt the spiraled seal change and morph, the waterbending insignia replacing the spiral.

 **XXX**

Another hand broke through the water, fighting to stay alive under its dark surface. The boy's head broke surface and he gulped for more air. Sasuke's drenched hair clung to his face in dark ropes. His usually spiky crown was limp and dripping. Water ran down his face and his charcoal eyes furiously blinked away the liquid that seeped in it.

He tried to stabilize his body upright, kicking the water in reaction but a large wave crashed into him. The wave sank him deeper into the water and the tide pushed roughly. Saskue's body flopped pathetically under moving current, and before he knew it, he drifted ashore. He climbed to his hands and knees, vomiting sea water from his mouth. Finishing spewing the contents of his stomach he wiped his mouth. His ragged breaths slowed to deep exhalations.

His dark eyes gazed at the sand feeling the course particles dry to his hand like glue. He unceremoniously fell to his back, still breathing heavily, and watched the moon and stars. The white full moon and its surrounding body of stars stared at him. Too tired to move, he closed his eyes wishing the moon and stars away. He wanted everything to leave him alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Done! Sorry about the wait, but I got writer's block. Thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows. **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Avatar: The Last Airbender. All rights respectively belong to their owners.  
**

 **In regards to questions:**

Infinityworlds: Yes, this AU and canon combined. I'm still staying on the timeline. Yes, he will be getting the sharingan later in the story.

Kurono Uzumaki: Yes, they will utilize chakra and manipulate it with their bending. The only problem I have, that I see, is speed. Ninjas, channeling chakra, can reach inhuman speeds far beyond a normal human at peak level. So I might have to handicap the speed levels for Naruto and Sasuke. It would not be too fun making fight scenes where the protagonists are untouchable. I'd get bored pretty quick.

* * *

 **Avatar Book One: Sacrifice - The Royalty  
**

Inside a small room, where the only source of light came from a large window, loud snoring could be heard. The sound bounced from one end to the other resoundingly. The energetic snoring came from a young boy with spiky, white hair and a placid expression – too placid and relaxed: his mouth hung open like a hose and drool ebbed down his chin onto his pillow.

On his bed he clutched his pillow to his chest tightly. He would occasionally yank on the pillow, pulling at the stuffing in visible distress – or retaliation, mumbling about saving the village from giant monsters. The white-haired boy shifted to his back, his arms outstretched and limp. The warm, dawn light from his window shined on the boy's face, friendly nibbling on his skin. His nose twitched and his hand rubbed it relieving the discomfort.

Blue eyes steadily fluttered open to an intense bright light. The eyes retreated back to the darkness, closing and adjusting to the light. When they finally opened once more, the blinding light abated and the blurriness cleared. Naruto groaned miserably.

If it wasn't for the glaring light he could have gotten more sleep. The morning sun disrupted his rest and he made a promise to get more sleep when he returned to the academy. Maybe his fellow delinquent and sleep enthusiast, Shikamaru, would join in on some afternoon snoozes. He hoped the instructors would miss with their chalk-throwing skills to his head while he slept.

He sat up, pushing the deep blue, satin-like covers off him. His small hands reached his face and rubbed vigorously the drowsiness from his eyes. His mouth opened and closed feeling the bland taste of saliva gather at the corners of his mouth, leaving a thin white paste, as his tongue rubbed against the top of his mouth, eliciting a smacking noise.

He looked around the room, his face and mind blank. His head moved again this time, eyebrows scrunching and mouth agape in shock. Where was he? The lavish room that he currently slept in was not his room!

It was luxurious, more so than he had ever seen. The sheets covered him like thick velvet, smooth and silky to the touch. Blue tile-like ice, sleek and shiny, carved into the floor. The sunlight from the window illuminated the tiles, the blue light shifting and moving like the gentles waves of the ocean. He peered down and could see his reflection shining back at him. He threw a wave and the image imitated his movement.

Then, he froze. He noticed thick, spiky, white hair, the color of snow, growing from his head. That was not right; he had blond hair not white!

"What happened to my hair!" he squeaked, pulling at the locks in befuddlement.

He wondered if this was some practical joke by the villagers. This could be a revenge tactic against him after the fiasco of his last prank of drenching most of the villagers in wet paint. The looks on their dumbfounded faces was the worth the prank.

He gave another pull, and realizing the futility of it, sighed and gave up. He'll have to wait for it to grow back, or find a dye to change it back.

Behind him ornate decorations of various weapons hung dignified and proper. Enthralled by the weapons Naruto went to pick one up from the wall. He grasped the handle of a resplendent sword. The design was sleek and long and the handle was tinted in gold. The sword jingled on the wall, fixed, much to Naruto's dismay, as he tried to rip it away. He pulled with the strength of an impatient and demanding child.

Naruto growled in concentration, feeling his fingers burn and redden. A bead of sweat from the exertion crawled slowly down his face. With a mighty tug and a boisterous yell, the sword gave way, ripping against the white wall. Naruto smiled triumphantly but it soon faltered. He lost his balance, his feet slipping against the silky sheets. His momentum carried him off the bed, the sword falling from his grip. He crashed on the frigid floor, his head slamming hard against the tile.

His blue eyes became slits, feeling the consecutive dull throbbing ache in his head; but they soon became large and fearful as the flying sword fell. The sword's sharp tip shined and promised blood, falling rapidly to Naruto's paralyzed body. Shocked, Naruto closed his eyes ready for the pain accompanied from the cut.

A steady silence and nothing happened. Feeling safe, he opened a blue eye to see the sword's sharp tip dangling in front of his face, the point floating between his eyes dangerously. He gulped hard. That was close.

His eyes traveled from the tip to the dark hand holding the handle; past the hand, toward a sea of royal blue and fluffy white, he looked into the face of his savior. The man stared down at Naruto, holding the offending sword from his face. The man had brown skin the color of coffee. His blue eyes were lighter than Naruto's own, and they gazed at him in surprise and disapproval. His long dark hair fell to his shoulders and a ponytail lifted from his crown. Two blue bands covered two strips of hair that swayed at his goatee.

Below his face, a white choker necklace covered his neck, a collar of white fur wrapped around his shoulders to bolster and retain the heat from his ornate blue robe. A beaded necklace with numerous sharp teeth hung gallantly from his neck; and in the middle a large bead that resembled a waning crescent moon shifted slightly.

Finished appraising the man, Naruto chuckled embarrassingly. "Whoops," he said, caught red-handed.

"Whoops, indeed. This is not a toy. You could have gotten gravely injured if I did not arrive in time," the man said. He went to the wall and placed the weapon back in its holder.

He came back and helped Naruto to his feet; Naruto's wrinkled clothes slouched sloppily against his thin body. Naruto still embarrassed tried to placate his actions, "I just wanted, you know, to see how it worked."

"See how it worked?" repeated the man, his dark brow raised. His pale blue eyes looked skeptical.

Nodding, Naruto smiled wryly. He was caught. Knowing his action would be reprimanded in some sort of punishment, he did only thing that made sense. "Well, I gotta go."

He ran.

He quickly left through the open door, the curtains swishing and rippling, and turned right. The halls were too made of ice. A gentle blue light caressed the hall, reflecting white off the sculptures and ice. Elaborate ice sculptures decorated the corridor, carved and twisted in various beings – animals and humans and spirits. Ice men and women of stature, lined the hallway like guards, imposing and splendid amongst the light reflecting in their crystallized bodies.

Naruto noticed none of it as he ran down the hall. He encountered two openings that broke into two separate hallways. He turned left, passing by people in thick blue coats with surprised expressions.

He looked behind him to see if he was being followed and finding no-one on his tail he laughed at outrunning them. Naruto always prided himself on his speed. The times he outran and outmaneuvered the Shinobi instructors – they were Chunin level – was a blessing, for if they could not catch him, he could escape their wicked punishments.

He turned his head to the front and collided with something soft and white. Two squeaks of pain erupted from his mouth and the person he collided with. He fell on his buttocks, his face tensing in slight pain.

"Hey! What's the big idea, you…" the words died in his mouth as he observed the person he ran into.

The young girl was very pretty. Her brown skin glowed from the white, morning light that seemed to bathe her like the early morning sun glistening behind Konoha's mountain peaks. Her white, flowing hair was in an ornate design; holding up her hair was a blue ornament with a strange insignia that reminded Naruto of ocean waves. Two halves of her hair from the band were in small loops behind her head. The rest flowed down her front in braided ropes all encased by a blue band by her ears and at the ends of the braids.

Her nose was small and scrunched like her eyelids in pain. Her soft lips tightened and twisted. Her hand rubbed her head. Naruto stuttered for a second then summoned the courage to talk.

"Sorry, sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," Naruto apologized, looking ashamed. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. The crash was unintentional.

The pretty girl's face softened, her hand coming from her head. A reddish knot started swelling above the skin. Her blue eyes – how strange? They were the same color as the man's he fled the room from - peered at him in amusement. A hidden emotion crossed her eyes when they lifted to his snowy hair.

"It's alright; I wasn't expecting anyone to come around the corner as fast you were," she said.

"By the way, why were you running in the halls?"

Naruto looked behind him and then snuck closer to the girl. She looked befuddled at his close proximity.

"People are after me," he whispered, his hand forming a half-circle around his lips as if he was making sure no-one could hear his words.

She blinked. "And why are they after you?"

"Well, I…" he paused. "I'm in trouble. I –" loud voices echoed from the hallway, getting louder with each pounding step –" I gotta go!" he yelled, jumping over the sitting girl.

Before he even touched the ground, water surrounded him. The water came from the fountain on his left and floated him up. The water transformed into ice, trapping his body up to his neck.

The ice was unbearably cold as it touched his skin like fire. He shivered, his jaw chattering. He struggled to break the ice but he could not move his hands or feet – he could not even move his head! He sputtered nonsensically at his immobility.

"Well now, what a surprise. This polar bear-dog cub has run amok in our halls long enough," a voice laced with sarcasm said. Naruto could not see the man, only hear that mocking tone in his voice.

"Let me go, you piece of crap!" Naruto shouted, still struggling feebly against his ice prison.

"Your talent for insults would scare a rock, you little dimwit," the man said back.

"Dimwit?"

"Not very bright are you, boy," the man chuckled.

Naruto could feel the man behind him, his steps calm and unhurried compared to the avalanche that made their way towards him.

"Thank you, Master Pakku, for catching the boy. I did not know he was as fast as a polar dog," a man chuckled, "but I see you trapped him." Naruto recognized the voice from his room.

"It was no problem, Chief Arnook," he replied. "Now," he said, stepping closer and grabbing Naruto's hair, ruffling it up, "who is he? He looks vaguely familiar, doesn't he?"

Naruto gritted his teeth at the action, his face pouting in annoyance.

"I want to know too, but we'll have to have this conversation at breakfast. Release him, Master Pakku," Arnook ordered.

Naruto felt the ice liquefy and he fell to the ground, the cold water drenching him. Naruto got to his feet. He turned around to give a withering glare at the man who froze him with the strange water technique. The man's smile was smug, and it seemed to anger Naruto even more. It was one of contempt.

The man's gray hair receded from his scalp like the pulling tide and fell to his shoulders. His blue eyes held a cool amusement at the drenched boy; he almost appeared glad. Two strands of hair like whiskers dipped from his upper lip to his chin and his lower lip hair was long and thick. He too wore the colors of royal blue and white.

He turned away, heading straight down the hallway. Naruto stared at him, making a face: he pulled his eyelid down and stuck his tongue to offend the man in a precocious offense that would scare or humiliate an ignorant duck. The man simply walked away, although his hand twitched and Naruto lost his balance on the wet floor, falling into the small puddle of water.

"Master Pakku does seem very eager this morning," a man said.

"That could be a problem," said Arnook, watching Naruto squeeze the water from his clothes.

 **XXX**

Once Naruto was dry, Chief Arnook took the boy to the dining hall for morning breakfast. The dining hall in the palace was as lavish as the guest room Naruto had slept in. It was located outside the main palace. Light exploded around them, the morning early as it traced its way onto the glaciers surrounding the dining hall in white-walled light. Cascading waterfalls shimmered from the glacier walls in the morning, white light and happily pooled into the many aqueducts of the palace. In front of the waterfalls laid a spouting fountain, and past the fountain a stage where various performers would perform waterbending acrobatics for celebrations.

Hot meals were boiled in a hot water source located at the center of the hall, and around it various people were seated in the rising rows of tiered tables to the side. The guests of honor and utmost importance were seated at the table of honor.

Naruto sat happily at the table. He ate as though he had no manners (he did not!) tasting the different kinds of assorted food available at the table. His hands blurred as he ravished the food like a starving man. Many looked in wonder, some in amusement, and others in disgust at his table manners and seemingly bottomless stomach.

The girl that he met sat beside him to his right, watching Naruto curiously as the boy stuffed his gut to capacity. On his left, Chief Arnook's countenance told of surprise, finding the unusual boy fascinating. Naruto did not care for the attention as his stomach roared to be filled. He tried many strange food, like the weird green vegetable in a stew, and octopus soup.

The stuff was great, although, the sea prunes he could not deal with. His stomach jumped at the offending food still in his belly, the taste lingering horribly in his mouth.

"So, um, I did not get your name," said the white-haired girl, conversationally.

Naruto ate some octopus tentacles with a wet slurp. "Ma nom a Uzumki Narto," proclaimed the boy, his mouth full and his words barely understandable.

She looked confused. He clarified himself, swallowing: "My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

Yue repeated his name softly, which earned a vigorous nod from the young boy. "Hey old man, where am I? The last I remember"—he put his chin on his fist – "I was in the Shodaime's forbidden forest with my frie – rival, Sasuke."

In fact, where was Sasuke? Did he come to this place too? Naruto vaguely remembered someone holding onto him before he lost consciousness. Perhaps Sasuke was still in the cave.

"I remember these strange, glowing fish and then I fell into the water."

"Those strange fish you mentioned were Tui and La, the Ocean and Moon Spirits. They keep the ocean and its life, our life, protected. They safeguard our civilization and in turn we are their most humble of servants. I don't know anything about this Shodaime, unfortunately, but you're at the North Pole, a continent made of complete ice… except for the Spirit Wilds."

He said the last words chillingly and reverently. Naruto wondered what lied in the Wilds that would make a grown man tremble.

"The North Pole is home to our people of the Northern Water Tribe, and I am chieftain of the tribe, or king" – clarifying, seeing Naruto's confused expression – "Chief Arnook."

"You've met my daughter, princess Yue," he motioned to Naruto's right, "and to the right of her, my wife, Kyone," he nodded to the woman who resembled the daughter, though her hair was brown, long and flat behind her back.

"Wait! I'm not in the Hidden Leaf Village?!"

"I'm not familiar with the place you speak of, and I'm afraid not; you appeared through the Spirit Oasis housing the Ocean and Moon spirits, and I rescued you from nearly drowning."

Naruto opened his mouth to say something but the words would not come. There was nothing to say for the state of his environment except for the strange feeling riddled in his gut: Confusion. How did he get here and why was here?

Naruto started to think, to remember. He remembered the fireflies, the idiot Sasuke, and the cave. He looked at the people in front of him, noticing their overly large blue jackets. A sea of blue – the walls of the cave were blue, and that pond was filled with these creepy fish that glowed. A thought clicked from inside his mind. The fish!

The fish did something and brought him to this mysterious ice palace somewhere far away. They were at fault! How was he supposed to become Hokage now, trapped in a foreign land covered in snow and frost?

"But I…" he cried, feeling the storm of emotions roll within in him like a hurricane, "I need to get back! I have to become Hokage or else the villagers won't respect me!"

"Respect you?" Arnook said, puzzled.

"Yeah! Once I become Hokage I'll gain their respect and they won't look down me," Naruto responded.

"So this title, this Hokage, is someone important in your village," Chief Arnook surmised.

Naruto nodded his head. "The Hokage is our leader. He leads the village and their shinobi."

When he said shinobi, something flashed in Arnook's eyes. He seemed to remember a great thing. The term shinobi was the most ubiquitous term in the Elemental Nations. Everyone, from the Daimyo whom relied on the shinobi to poor farmers and ordinary civilians, knew of their unnatural prowess and inhuman skills. The term was feared and admired and despised and heroic. They were the epitome of great and terrible events of the world.

Naruto was not surprised that Arnook recognized the word, but he was during his next words.

"Shinobi you say. There was a warrior whom came before you, through the Spirit Oasis, proclaimed he was a shinobi. I know the word, yes, I know of it intimately. But the last I heard of him – and saw of him -, I was but a boy."

Naruto watched Arnook's features change. His expression switched from frightening to awe then to a stony contemplation. He wondered if he had said the wrong thing.

"Shinobi," he rolled the word quietly, his blue eyes dark. "Those were dark times in our history. The Fire Nation came with war but a man, a shinobi, saved us, when the Avatar was nowhere to be found."

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't leave me out of this! You know of the ninjas."

"Ninjas. Shinobi. The man I was speaking of called himself Senju Tobirama. We called him the Water Dragon. The man fought like a raging dragon. He was one of the best waterbenders I had ever seen. Water called to him as naturally as the fish that swim our waters. He was a man of strength and cold calculation."

Arnook's blue eyes, still clouded in remembrance, hovered over Pakku, who was sitting at one of the tiered tables for a moment, then returned back to Naruto.

"And?"

"And the rest I'll finish for another time," Arnook smiled, seeing the boy leaning with anticipation.

Naruto uttered a sound of disapproval. He wanted to hear the story. From where he was from Konoha held great ninjas like the Third and his predecessors – and successors – as inspirations for his goals. They were the roots, the foundations of the village that birthed new leaves. He wanted his face carved into the monument, his name spoken reverently by the villagers, like his leaders before him. However, a face flashed in his mind's eye, of a man carved in rock and stone. Senju Tobirama, why did that name sound familiar? The answer was at the tip of his tongue, but it slipped passed him like trying to catch a flying kunai with bare hands.

"Did Tobirama find his way back?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not too sure. After the battle here, he left to the South Pole, assisting our sister tribe, the Southern Water Tribe, where he fortified their defenses. It's thanks to him we're still in contact with them; although, the Fire Nation has proven a nuisance over the years with their navy. From there he went to the continent. No-one knows what happened to him. Although, there were rumors of battles on the continent between him and the Fire Nation's, Red-Eyed Dragon, outbreaks of spirits and indescribable events that followed his travels."

"So what am I to do? I need to head back to the village!" He all but shouted.

"That, I'm afraid is impossible. For a reason, Tui and La brought you here, like your predecessor before you, and for whatever their reasons you must fulfill their wishes. You were granted a special gift, Naruto."

"I was?" Naruto doubted, but feeling a burst of hope well and rise like the waves. He did not feel any different, either. He had never been given anything or designated with anything special.

Arnook nodded his head. "Your hair, like my daughter's, speaks of their blessings.

Naruto's eyes rose to his white bangs that fell to his forehead. So his hair was not dyed he thought gratefully, but still he preferred his blond hair. It was something different, unique. He sidled a glance at Yue, who was raptly paying attention to her father and their conversations. She gave a warm smile that seemed to speed his heart rate. He quickly turned his head to the chief.

"So where am I supposed to stay," he asked, voice quiet and afraid. He trembled at the thought of them leaving him on the streets, like many had done before. Fear, though always constant, remained in the back of his mind. He was scared of Arnook's answer.

Arnook's smile threw Naruto off. "You'll be staying with us of course, in the palace if you wish it."

Naruto tackled the man, tears flowing in rivers, and joy radiating from him like the sun. "Thank you, old man, Arnook!"

The man affectionately rubbed the boy's hair, receiving soft and happy looks from his wife and daughter.

 **XXX**

Heavy and quick steps echoed in the hallway of the palace. Click clack. Click clack. They were in a rush and the sound of quick breathing accompanied the steps. The flurry of steps stopped at the end of the hallway, noticing two openings parting in separate directions.

A steady of impatient tapping occurred, irritated and anxious. The tapping stopped and the steps headed toward the right, traveling at top-speed toward another long icy hallway. The steps belonged to one Uzumaki Naruto. His tuft of messy white hair quivered in his sprint, slightly rustling his bangs against his forehead. His cerulean eyes and face appeared nervous.

He was late for his appointment with the Northern Water Tribe's chief waterbender, Master Pakku. His nervousness stemmed from oversleeping. The week had passed by so quickly, and he was so absorbed in the ongoings of this nation, that he failed to wake up on time. He cursed his bad luck.

Naruto's first week in the winter nation past by in a whirlwind of activity that seemed, unfortunately for the boy, not to stop. He was reacquainted with the snow and blistering colds that chilled him to the bone. The thrill of a perpetual, eternal winter did not appeal to the young Uzumaki. Although from a village that seasonally snowed (which he delightfully enjoyed) he would rather have lived in a warmer climate. He would not have worn double the underwear and gloves and a large parka.

Becoming part of the tribe, he received his own parka. The coat was wide and blue and a puffy, white collar rubbed uncomfortably against his neck. The furred collar became an incessant annoyance for it itched like a mild rash against his skin. Also, around his neck a necklace swung wildly of the strange kunai he had found in the cave.

He had tied some string through the loop. It was for remembrance of his heritage as a ninja of Konoha. Naruto thought it made him look cooler. Chief Arnook had thought so as he complimented him with it. He had left his green goggles in his room.

Chief Arnook had introduced him to the life of politics and the tribe's cultural heritage. He gave him the tour of the city. They traveled through the merchant quarters, the stacked neighborhoods and villages, the sacred temples and bending arts centers, walked through the bridges and rode through the canals, which was the heart of the city, connecting them to the ocean, which connected the harbor from outside the city's barricade of glacial walls.

In addition to the new sights something in him had changed. Naruto thought it was from the blessing the Moon and Ocean Spirits for he could waterbend. He found that out when he tried to play a prank on Master Pakku one evening. The man had been alone at the time, walking through the hallways, and Naruto took advantage of the fact. He wanted revenge for his humiliation.

He spied how often he walked through the hallway, and planned. Filling a bucket with snow, he placed it above the hallway. Attached to the bucket was a thin rope that led to a trip wire concealed in the shadows when the sun had reached a certain point in the sky. He waited behind a corner for the man. When he heard him coming, he glanced furtively behind the corner, seeing the man stalk the hallway. When Naruto heard the man stumble and the bucket empty, he rounded the corner in victory. But that was all for not, and his smile fell. Master Pakku, arms outstretched to the side, raised, floated the snow in the air. The man had an arrogant smile that seemed to irritate Naruto.

"Your doing," he had stated.

Naruto took a step back, and the snow agglomerated. Master Pakku swiftly brought his hands forward, commanding the large snow ball to surge forward. Naruto, reflexively, put his hands to his face, his heart beating rapidly, and his hands twitching. Instead of snow the splash of cold water met his face and jacket. He slowly brought his hands down to look at an astonished Master Pakku. It was that day that Master Pakku invited him to attend his waterbending class.

Coming across another opening, he made it outside the palace front doors, the beaming sun exploding over the ice in white light, his breaths coming out in cloudy vapor. In front of him, below the stairs, in a clearing, a small crowd of waterbenders his age (all boys) stood around Master Pakku, whose blue eyes immediately found Naruto.

"I see that our star attraction likes to keep us waiting," Pakku said, amongst the giggling of the students.

"I'll keep you waiting, you cranky, old man," Naruto mumbled as the circle let him in.

"What was that?" Master Pakku barked.

"Nothing, Master Pakku," Naruto said politely.

"Good because otherwise you would be a great test subject." He paused at the thought. "Maybe yet."

He ordered Naruto to stand beside him. Naruto grumbled. He knew he should have not been late.

"Now, students, before I was so unkindly interrupted" – he gave Naruto a pointed stare –"Today, we'll be going over the water whip."

Master Pakku's eyes roamed his students. They stood straighter under his withering glare. "The water whip works by using your hips and arms in a swiping motion with your hands. The art is to control your chi in shaping the whip, shaping and molding the water to various lengths depending on your need and opponent. Small hip rotations are key, as it can also extend the length of the whip. You can also, as your waterbending grows, control the density of the water, sharpening the whip to cut through anything, including metal."

This comment roused the boys; even Naruto was rocking on his heels in anticipation. He turned to Naruto, serious, but eyes seemed to be dancing, smiling in eagerness.

"Naruto, here, will be our first demonstrator. You will attack me until I say stop."

Naruto did not like the sound of that nor the excitement ringing in his voice. He got into his fighting stance – which was no stance at all. He took a chilling breath and charged. He threw his elbow back, clenching his fist and cocking his swing. He would make sure this punch counted.

Naruto knew he could not beat Master Pakku as Master Pakku was leagues above him and his waterbending skills were legendary in the Northern Watertribe. But he wanted one good hit on the man. And the only way was to be faster than him.

The wind blew threw his hair at his charge. The snow crunched like a fusillade with his heavy steps. Pakku's arrogant smile called to him, and his speed increased, almost blurring to the watching audience. He could feel it, his muscles tensing and coiling, waiting for that moment to strike.

Master Pakku raised a ball of lumpy snow to his waist. The snow hovered and then transformed into a ball of water. The water crawled up the length of his arms and hung ominously. Naruto crossed the distance; he was a few inches away, when he felt himself being violently flung backward. Air left his lungs and his stomach heaved as he watched the snow and sky revolved before him until he slammed in to the thick snow.

His hands reached his stomach feeling the pain burn as he gasped for air. The voices of the students rose into a smattering of unintelligible noise. He slowly rose, taking his time to calm his breathing and shake the clutters of snow from his hair.

The pain became a dull ache and Naruto glared at Master Pakku. "Not a bad idea of closing the distance before I performed the technique… but you were a bit slow. Think of something else or else you're going to enjoy your time on the ground."

Angrily, he ran at Pakku and his face, once again, met the cold snow. "You're going have to think of something else," he said, his tone lazy and bored.

An idea formed in his mind. Naruto rose again and grabbing some snow and furtively forming it with his hand into a ball. He charged. Pakku clicked his tongue in disapproval as he readied the whip, his leading right hand coiling to his side. With a flick the water thinned into a rope-like whip.

The whip descended on Naruto quickly, and he rolled forward, the whip cracking like thunder and the snow crunching under him. Coming out the roll, with his right hand he threw the snowball at Master Pakku's face. Master Pakku's amused expression turned into a vicious smile. In a fluid motion the snowball liquefied, and bringing his hands back, pulling and combining the water with him, he aggressively pushed it back, the water whip coming and tightening around Naruto's arm.

Naruto watched helplessly at the water brought him up, his feet dangling in the air, and shoved him down. He hit the ground hard the wind sailing out of him. "Not a bad strategy," remarked Master Pakku, "but the result was the same. Now that this rendition is over with, everyone go find a partner and practice."

Naruto heard the crunch of boots near him. He raised his face up, his head still felt dizzy from the crash. Master Pakku stared at him from his height of victory. The sun was behind him shrouding him in a triumphant light, and Naruto glowered. He was about to say something unkind but Master Pakku spoke first.

"Naruto, when you're finished with your nap, I suggest you get on your knees and meditate."

"Why do I have to meditate, Cranky Man, why can't I do what they're doing," Naruto complained, watching from the corner of his eyes the other boys practicing the waterbending move. Master Pakku glanced at the boys briefly, smirking, then returned back to him.

"Okay, then. Turn this snow into water and then turn it to ice. If you can do this beginners move you can join the rest." Pakku raised some snow into a small, ice platform and sat on it, crossing his legs.

"No problem! Believe it!" Naruto smirked.

All he had to do was convert the snow into water and then into ice. Easy, huh? But an uncomfortable feeling turned in Naruto's belly. He was nervous. He had never done this before, or even tried waterbending without his emotions getting in the way. He stared intensively at the white sheets of snow, apprehensive on this technique.

He can do this he convinced himself. He brought his hands up and… nothing happened. He did it again, willing it to move. Nothing happened as the sun continued to shine on the snow. Becoming angry snow sputtered and shifted and he a wave of elation hit him… only that too dimmed when the snow barely raised up. He threw his hands up in frustration and a mass of snow covered him.

"Meditate. As I said you're only a beginner," Pakku said, staring at his other students. "Waterbending is not just fancy hand movements and techniques. A calm and steady mind, and the willing to wait, patience, are key components.

"Remember that Naruto, they'll be times when impulsive actions won't save you. What will you do then? Hopefully you'll use that thick head of yours. Now, you'll meditate until I say stop. If you dare open your eyes, well, let's just say you're not going to like the surprise."

And so Naruto got down his knees begrudgingly and meditated. He tried to clear his mind but thoughts of frustration for the cynical and sadistic waterbending teacher whirled in him.

"Find your center and use that to calm your mind. For a waterbender breath is as important as living."

"I'm trying!"

"No talking. If you want to be better than me – which would take over a hundred years – do as I say."

For what seemed like forever Naruto meditated, feeling his muscles relax. Focus, focus, he kept repeating the word as a mantra. He felt he was sliding into oblivion. Blackness encompassed his sight, and he heard nothing. A moment passed, then, suddenly, the darkness disappeared, fading to white, and a hurdling of iridescent light flooded him. An unknown presence pulled his body, like gravity to a falling apple, unstoppable. He was flying through the spectrum of colors and space at an incredible speed, his eyes barely open as the wind smashed into his face. He came to a halt, his body recoiling like a spring. He was unceremoniously dropped on the ground. He stood up, rubbing his side, and looked around.

"Where am I?" he said in wonderment, watching a black sky above and under him. Within the sky, a myriad of stars blinked mysteriously and brightly, some bigger than others. Blotches of magenta and purple, blues and reds, and dabs of yellow nebulae were splashed against the star-filled backdrop. His eyes leveled and a grand pathway lied before him, glowing white. At the end, he could see a spectral, white ball, its aura radiant.

He walked along the pathway, the flickering stars watching him. Everywhere sparkled and glittered and he was amazed at the sight. Another path broke off to his right. This path was painted in deep crimson and something malevolent and violent lurked along the road. Wisps of crimson seeped out like steam from the road, and a low growl echoed from down the road.

It scared Naruto and intuitively something told him to keep on walking. As he made his way up the winding path he found the ball of light. The ball emitted a warmth that caressed his skin and was as warm as the summer days. He felt calm and peaceful. He reached out to the ball and the warmness spread, eliciting a soft sigh from his lips. It was like watching the ocean crash on the shore and recede back - very serene, very pleasant. He did not know how long he stayed but he felt at home.

A voice broke his trance and echoed in the confines of the area: "Wake up."

He slowly opened his eyes. Naruto's eyes were welcomed to a dusk sky and its sparkling troupe of stars were barely visible. High above the moon, full and ripe, watched omnipresent. His eyes roamed to Master Pakku still on his platform. He blinked confusedly. When did the day turn into night? and how long was he inside that place?

"Are you calm?"

Naruto nodded affirmatively. "Good. Now transform the snow."

Naruto stood and watched the snow. Something in his mind told him he had done this before as he did the action. The motions felt normal now. His hands traveled up, the snow forming a ball. The ball floated and his hands turned outward turning the ball into water. He breathed, feeling his chi manifest through his breath, vapor pouring forth and freezing the water into an ice ball. He turned his hands outward again the ball liquefied and drenched the snow.

"Not bad," Master Pakku said after a moment. He gave Naruto a strange look, almost clairvoyant.

"Now go to dinner, I'm sure princess Yue, as impatient as ever, has been waiting for you since her studies had finished," he spoke loudly. Naruto turned his head to the column at the base of the palace, and he spotted a tuft of white hair hidden behind it. Yue shyly came out from her spot, her parka-dress gliding across the snowy stairs.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Master Pakku," she bowed, an embarrassing blush colored her face.

A large smile from Naruto greeted the princess. "Yue!" he cried happily and ran to her.

"Did you see what I did? I was so awesome!" Naruto spoke, his mouth moving faster than he could form words. The two traveled up the stairs into the palace leaving Master Pakku alone.

Master Pakku watched them go, a frown on his lips. His blue eyes turned to the moon questioningly. "What was that white aura?"

 **XXX**

Lu Ten grumbled dispassionately at his new role. This temporary indentured servitude to his father and cousin was the worst. He likened it to an ostrich-horse working in the long hours on a farm, the vicious heat bearing down on him as if to set him alight.

He hated their shopping ventures – mostly his father's – but his cousin proved to be even trickier, as they invaded each shop with the peculiar eye of craftsmen, and waded and bargained for better prices or left with nothing at all. They bought plenty enough as it was, the weight of the various bags tiring his arms, dropping them like anchors. He should have brought a guard or servant with them then he too could enjoy himself on this little venture. Too bad his father disagreed with the notion, saying it was always great to see the Fire Kingdom by themselves without the hassle of servants. He even - incredibly! - told him, and his cousin, to forgo their headpiece! and Fire Nation royalty regalia. Although he still looked dapper in his casual red robe, this earned the ire of his little cousin, and her snarky comments did not elicit any relief for the two men accompanying her.

He loved his father, but the endless shops and bags were grating on his nerves. All his education and firebending could not prepare for him this little tryst in North Chung-Ling. The industrious city boomed with activity and it was damn crowded as he felt as if he was swimming in rough waters. Elbows and shoulders were a constant hindrance and they crashed into him with indifference or confrontational that would have precipitated to violence had he been none the wiser.

As a firebender and commander under his father, he knew how the handle himself – he had won plenty of Agni Kais in his youth – he was still young and handsomely so! The flames of Agni ignited in him and he controlled them with the same breath as a waterbender. Close combat he would say he was pretty proficient and could handle any unexpected accidents. But as a temporary servant boy, he had no experience.

Lu Ten held in another groan as his father went to another store, followed by his cousin's dignified gait, and his trembling body. Inside, the cool air immediately relieved his heated face and burning arms. Sweat crawled and dried on his face in salty deposits. His sweaty black hair clung to his face in lumpy locks. His attractive sideburns and his top-not drooped sullenly, a far cry from its prominence in the palace. He could feel his sweaty armpits, the dampness growing and showing through his casual robe.

The store was a welcome reprieve for Lu Ten. He stopped at the side of the entrance watching his father and his cousin dive into their frenzied shopping mode.

His golden eyes gazed at his cousin, who's similar eyes were sharp like the dagger she held in her hand. She had grasped the weapon from a nearby stand while her Uncle's back was turned; he was too busy chatting amicably with the shop owner. How cunning she was, when an adult figure was not paying attention. Her golden gaze was enthralled in the sleek design of the dagger. The dagger's length was as long as her arm. Her little fingers ran along the tip and down the trench of the fuller. Gently. Hypnotically.

She cut the air with a few practice jabs and figure eights, the dagger moving like gray liquid. Lu Ten smiled. The Fire Nation's Royal Fire Academy For Girls had done well on his cousin's skills. Every day she improved. Many declared her to be the best firebending prodigy of her generation.

When she finished her performance, she looked back Lu Ten's father and then at him. Lu Ten had the decency to pretend to be busy, looking at the anomalous items cluttering the shelves near the door. He glanced surreptitiously at her.

A smile curled on her pink lips, one of mischievousness and desire. She opened the lapels of her red tunic and glided the dagger into the cover. She had almost finished the deed when he called her name.

"Azula," Lu Ten said, fully turning and giving the girl a pointed look.

She was not fooling him. She turned her body so her back faced him; her elbow repositioned the dagger into her fold. She turned to him, the picture of absolute innocence and naiveté. Her golden eyes bore warmth and her smile was long and happy. She looked adorable like a baby armadillo-bear.

Lu Ten frowned. Baby armadillo-bears were extremely dangerous like the adults. He remembered raising one on his father's vacation estate. He had nearly lost his fingers trying to feed the damn beast.

"Yes, Lu Ten," she said, her voice light and innocuous. It was the same voice used whenever she was in trouble.

"Do you need something, cousin?" Her dual locks of black hair swayed when she inclined her head, her tightly woven bun and top-not followed.

"I believe you have something not yours," he said, his eyes zooming on the barely concealed handle, the bottom poking out of her red robe. He held his hand out patiently.

"But Zuko always gets cool stuff; why can't I have this? Even uncle fat—Iroh buys Zuko weapons."

Seeing Lu Ten's firm stare, she took a step back, and gave a large sigh. She dug into her tunic reluctantly and pulled the dagger out. She gave it a sparing glance before putting it in Lu Ten's hand.

"Daggers are dangerous, Azula. And stealing is wrong. I'm sure your mom, princess Ursa, would disapprove of us if we bought you something like this."

Her lips frowned and she glared the other way, her arms crossing in a tantrum.

"Stupid Lulu," she muttered, scowling.

"Azula." Her eyes found his.

Lu Ten felt he would regret his next words. "If you're going to steal, be sure to do a better job next time."

Azula's expression did not change, but, her golden eyes gleamed in understanding, narrowing like a predator to prey. However, Lu Ten knew more, for Azula was the prankster princess, and would use this information in another nefarious attempt to get what she wanted. He truly disliked that look for Azula was always plotting; a brilliant tactician-in-training, he and his aunt always had to be cognizant of her actions. Her innocent jokes and pranks were becoming cruel.

Lu Ten attributed this fact to his uncle, Fire Prince Ozai. That man had a mean streak a mile long that continued to burn and it seemed, drastically, to affect Azula's behavior. Lu Ten noticed the slight changes as she began spending more time with her father, absorbing everything from him. Dear Agni, he hoped she did not turn out like him as Lu Ten was already wary of his uncle and his devious and clever ways. He had heard enough from his father during their afternoon tea time.

His father returned and suggested to visit another shop that he knew of that carried paper, for he loved writing his poetry and songs. Lu Ten's arms protested angrily as he almost dropped the bags. Just a few more hours he desperately repeated to himself, just a few more hours, and then he could drop dead and sleep.

They made their way out of the shop and into the dirt road, still crowded and jammed. He was pushed to the side blocking the path of a child with black spiky hair. They bumped into each other. Lu ten apologized and went his way however, he noticed something amiss. The jingling of his coin purse had stopped. He had put inside his tunic for safekeeping. He moved his hand inside frantically, searching, but finding nothing!

"I think I was robbed!"

He quickly moved his head to the retreating black-haired boy agilely slipping between the crowds of people. Seeing the fleeing boy Azula took off after him, and the chase gave way.

Lu Ten tore through crowd dodging wayward hands trying to catch Azula. The black-haired boy proceeded with great ability to jump on the roofs like a hog monkey, his black shirt and even darker shorts moving with the wind. His leaps were graceful and precise and he sped undeterred. He looked down and he could see a black patch of hair moving quickly around the crowded road.

He growled in exasperation, "Azula's going to be the death of me!"

He noticed the boy's distance as he headed toward the outskirts of the city, to the mountainous ranges. He cursed under his breath. If they lose him to the wilderness then he would be gone for good.

He looked over the ridge, and a smile set upon his features. His dear little cousin had cornered the thief. The little thief was backed against a large river. His face showed no outward emotion, just cool stoicism, though his dark eyes were worried.

Lu Ten wanted to see how Azula's training was coming. So he hid behind a wall of rock, his eyes ever present of the situation. Azula took a few steps closer to the thief and then stopped, her eyes darting to the sides.

"Now peasant, I'll give you one chance to surrender yourself," Azula said, a smug smile covered her pink lips.

The black-haired boy did not answer as Azula prepared into her stance. Now that looked familiar. It was one of the advanced firebending forms.

"No answers? Well don't say I did not give you a try," she replied as her index and middle fingers touched and the rest clenched to her palm. Her fingers speared forward and a spiraling orange fireball shot towards the thief.

The fireball soared through the air at the boy. He dodged to the side, his eyes hard. The fire hit the water and wisps of steam rose. The boy's eyes were intense black storms now, focusing solely on Azula.

She shot another fireball after fireball, and the boy whizzed through them like the wind. When he was in range a fast punch came to her face. She blocked the punch with an open-handed parry and grabbed his wrist. In retaliation she pulled the boy into her, a kick shooting up and a stream of fire rising simultaneous with the kick from the ground to his face.

The boy's head rolled to the side, the fire streaming harmlessly past his shoulder. His stance lowered and an elbow found its way into Azula's stomach. The boy pushed her over with a side kick. Azula landed roughly on the ground, her mouth wide. Her golden eyes were in a panic as she tried to gasp for air.

The boy quickly took the initiative. He leaped and pounced on Azula, his knee rising and falling into the empty dirty. Azula rolled from the knee as the boy trailed after. She placed her hands on the ground to stop her momentum. The boy was upon her, and she grabbed a clump of dirt and flung it into his face. The boy protectively blocked his face, but Azula used the distraction to her advantage.

An arch of dual flames rose from her rising strikes and crossed into an x. The fire barreled straight for the boy. There was no-room for the boy to maneuver and it seemed as if Azula had won. However, the boy reflexively brought his hands into a cross-guard and uncrossed his hands into a mighty strike. Azula stared wide-eyed at the move. The boy smirked.

Lu Ten sighed. An unknown firebending thief. This would pose a problem, especially if the thief was getting lessons from his teachers.

Having enough, Lu Ten dropped into the scene. The boy jumped back, hesitant and guarded. Lu Ten sent a stream fire to scare the boy the fire coming between him and Azula and the thief in a protective (but brief) barrier; however, it had the opposite effect. Confused, Lu Ten watched the boy make strange hand signs. He ended the signs with his hands clasped, his index and thumbs touching and up. He leaned back, his chest inflating like a balloon and then fire burst from his mouth. The shooting fire seared the ground and continued to grow forming a ball, hungry for oxygen as it greedily gobbled it and grew exponentially.

He moved to block the fire, his hands traveling in a circular motion and flowing outward. Fire erupted from his fists. The two fire attacks met and clashed. But, to his astonishment, the boy's fire proved stronger as it continued on its path of destruction.

Lu Ten licked his lips nervously. "Damn Dragon Fire," he said. Azula gave him a curious look but her eyes traveled back to the humongous fireball waiting to engulf them.

His arms traveled back and like wading through water came forward in another fire blast, trying to stop the raging fireball. The blast finally stopped the momentum of the fire ball and smoke and fire flowed from the crash, engulfing them in black smoke and raining embers as they fell like fireworks, littering the ground in angry blazes.

Lu Ten watched the collision in awe. For a boy so young he certainly held some power, especially his techniques. He knew Dragon Fire was an expert firebendening move, converting, from one's stomach, the sea of chi, into power, and moving it up to the esophagus and out the mouth.

However, he needed to beat the kid, he could analyze his prowess later. He watched the smoke cautiously, seeing it swell and rise, blocking his vision. He saw something moving in the smoke. They were shadows and whistled. Whistled?

His ears twitched, hearing something piercing the air. It became louder and before he knew, blades of shuriken and kunai exploded from the smoke aiming at him and Azula. He grabbed Azula by the scruff of her neck and they both bent backwards, watching the sailing kunai and shuriken, spin, cutting the air, past by them with wide golden eyes. He heard them impact the ground somewhere behind them in loud thuds.

Lu Ten brought Azula up and breathed out a sigh of relief. They had almost become live pincushions.

Leaving Azula behind he ran through smoke and flame catching the boy unaware. He had to make sure this surprise attack counted, he would rather not deal with unknown child's capabilities. The boy reacted by throwing a punch. It was fast but he to dodge it, going to the boy's outside and grasping his wrist, twisting it into an armlock behind his back while grabbing the back of his shirt with the same hand. He grabbed the boy's skull and shoved him down to ground.

The boy struggled feebly on the ground, his feet digging into the dirt. "Not this time, you little thief," he said.

"Lu Ten!" hearing his father's voice. His eyes lifted to his father's and Azula coming through the heavy smoke. Iroh's hands rose and fell, the fire extinguishing as if it never existed, leaving the scorched earth smoldering and black.

"We're good, dad. Just the caught the little firebending thief," Lu Ten said happily, pushing the boy's face further into the dirt. The boy grunted in dismay.

"I had it under control, Lulu," Azula glared, her cheeks puffed in a pout and her clothes soiled from dirt.

"Sure you did, cousin. Sure you did," Lu Ten placated.

"So what do we do with him?" Lu Ten said, looking toward his father. Iroh stroked his robust beard thoughtfully, humming.

"Set him on fire then throw him in prison. He dared to attack three royal family members," Azula stated fiercely, rubbing her belly. A vengeful glint shined in her eyes.

"I got a better idea," the duo looked at Iroh in askance, "how about tea? I know a good shop here in the city that has imported some wonderful ginseng with some priceless herbal qualities known to sooth and relax."

Azula and Lu Ten's eyes met in confusion and then back to his father. _What?_ he thought, _this little punk deserves some time in jail_. But he loved his father, and he, though reluctantly, let the boy go. Azula face showed disbelief at the Iroh's answer. Her pride wanted revenge.

Not too long later, the group found themselves seated in a small compartment, inside an average sized tea shop. Various fragrances and aroma of herbs and tea wafted in the air, its spellbinding smell soothing and enticing the nasal cavities. The smell tickled Lu Ten's nose and clogged his senses, the tea dizzying him into relaxation. He was almost used to the smells in a tea house, with his father being a large connoisseur of the stuff, they had tried new varieties at every chance he got.

The server, an attractive round faced woman with pleasing brown eyes carried their tray, setting it down on the table and delegated their tea.

"Ho! Ho!" Iroh bellowed heartily, his stout stomach shaking. He took his tea, but gave a long glance at the woman in front of him.

"How delightful." He nodded his head in gratitude, as the woman smile politely, but something in Lu Ten knew that his father's look was more than gratitude, especially with a cup of ginseng. He noticed his father regularly drinking ginseng occasionally with a woman in sight that he desired.

Lu Ten had ordered his favorite: spiced tea. Azula and Sasuke, coincidentally, ordered black tea. Lu Ten wondered, his eyes briefly hovering over the children, were they the same in character as the color of the tea. The server left leaving them in a tense silence, though, Azula seemed to be still fuming from her loss, her hand tight on her tea cup.

"So, young boy," Iroh started after a deep sip from his tea cup, "why did you steal what was not yours? Stealing is wrong, especially under the extenuating circumstance as this. Some may be unforgiving and might extract vengeful retribution. You could have asked politely. Being polite can go a long way."

The boy said nothing, choosing to stare at the dark liquid of his tea.

"Maybe he's a mute uncle, I'm sure of it," said Azula, her golden eyes dark and unforgiving. "I'm sure another display of firebending _would_ make him talk."

"Azula," Iroh reproached and scolded.

"Where are your parents, did they not teach you stealing is wrong?" continued Iroh. "Or how about your teachers at the academy?"

"I don't go to school, and my parents are dead," he muttered despondently. The boy's eyes seemed to grow dark, angrier.

"Figures as much. They never taught you your place in society as a filthy peasant, to always respect your betters," demeaned Azula.

"Azula! Please don't mind her," Lu Ten spoke, his eyes moving from the boy to his cousin. Azula glared at him, and he merely shrugged.

The boy huffed, "Says the loser who lost."

Azula's eyes flared, her tea bubbling to dangerous levels. Lu Ten put a hand on her head, and ruffled her immaculate hair. Wisps were flung everywhere and she glared irritatingly at Lu Ten. The bubbles in her tea calmed becoming tranquil and black as the night sea.

"Where are you from?"

The boy tensed, carefully weighing his thoughts. "I'm… I'm not from here, this island. I'm from the village Hidden in the Leaves. The last I remember was waking up on this island's shore after nearly drowning."

"You were on a ship?"

"No. I…" he paused, looking unsure, "I – this going to sound unbelievable but I fell into the water in a cave after two fish froze me with their eyes."

Azula snorted, whilst Iroh and Lu Ten gave long looks at each other. "What did the fish look like?"

"I'm not too sure, just that they glowed," the boy said.

Iroh eyebrows rose and he leaned even closer. "Glowed you say? Do you think they were spirits?"

The boy nodded his head affirmatively. "In my village, there is a sacred forest blocked off from the villagers. We cannot enter without the Hokage's permission." Seeing their confused looks of Hokage he clarified, "our leader, the Hokage."

"So you enter this forbidden territory," Lu Ten concluded. The boy nodded and Lu Ten sighed inwardly. _Why were kids so stupid these days?_ he thought, however, if he was the same age he would have done same. A brief image of an armadillo-bear flashed in his mind's eye. He squirmed in his seat uncomfortably. Yeah, he did stupid stuff in his youth too.

"Why did you do something so stupid?" Azula questioned, speaking Lu Ten's thoughts aloud.

The boy made a face. He opened his mouth but closed it, as if thinking he would be better off not saying anything. Lu Ten looked at his father.

Iroh's face became pensive and he stroked his full, brown beard. Then Iroh stood up, eyes alight, and leaned so close to boy that boy reared backwards. He came back a smile drawn on his face. "I should have known! That face! Those eyes! That hair! How could I not see it? You're the spitting image of Uchiha Izuna!"

"Uchiha Izuna?" Lu Ten and Azula asked.

The boy blinked confused and then suspicious his eyes carefully watching Iroh. "What do you know of the Uchiha?"

Iroh's eyes sparkled. "Ho! Ho! The Uchiha! They were legends in my youth. Uchiha Izuna arrived to our land twenty-something years ago. One of the greatest firebenders I've ever met. You look like the spitting image of him. Are you by chance his son?"

The boy shook his head negatively. "Ah, well, you two look very similar indeed. I met him in my youth. Stoic man, very confrontational and very bright. Didn't really like sweets. Didn't like to dance, either. Are you related to him?

"Yeah. We're from the same clan. I'm an Uchiha as well, Uchiha Sasuke."

"The resemblance is uncanny," Iroh said.

"Most clan members have the same traits," boy said, plainly.

"I see. I still cannot believe you're not his son, but oh well. I'm sure father and Ozai would be ecstatic to see you."

"Father?" the boy questioned.

"That's Fire Lord Azulon, to a thief like you," Azula stated.

Fire Lord Azulon. He wasn't Lu Ten most favorite person. He liked him as he was very partial to him and his father, Iroh, but the man was tough and as obdurate and ruthless as his father Sozin (or so he heard of the man). The firelord, as he grew older, became more indifferent and spiteful, his actions condescending on his family, though, luckily enough, he seemed to have a soft spot for his father. His other children and grandchildren were nuisances he could not be bothered with.

Lu Ten was not ready to face him any time soon. He wondered how Sasuke would react. The man could be terrifying since he held the title of the world's greatest firebender.

He looked out the window and the day was winding down; the sky, opal and darkening were the transitions to nightfall. The street was fairly empty, though, some peasants dotted the road. A few chimneys belched out black smoke.

Lu Ten returned his gaze to the table. The young boy was still looking into his now empty tea cup. His dark eyes were empty and he seemed to be brooding. Azula sat staring at Sasuke. She was no longer angry or hostile, but a pensive expression took the former's place. Lu Ten wondered what she was thinking – or plotting. Azula was always plotting.

He just hoped those two would get along, he already had enough headaches. His golden gaze switched to his father's. He was casually drinking the rest of his tea, but his eyes were watching the interaction between the two children. Interrupting the cute moment, Lu Ten suggested that they finally head home.

Iroh agreed and they all stood up and exited the tea shop. Their ride awaited them at the large post office, which would take them to their ship and thus the Fire Nation Capital, where they would have audience with the Fire Lord. Lu Ten watched the boy as he boarded the carriage with half-lidded eyes. He strangely wondered if it was a good idea to take him to the palace. He pushed that thought behind and entered the carriage, ready to head home.

* * *

 **AN:** From what I remember about Iroh, it was later in the series (around season 2) that he made ginseng his favorite tea. I just used it earlier as there's nothing like having an economic grip on importation and exportation of the Earth Kingdom goods and services.


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